Spice Rack Basics

You’re getting ready to cook up a great meal. You get out the pots and pans, a wood spoon and a cutting knife; you take the food out of the refrigerator and begin to prepare it. All is going well up to this point, so you throw a little salt and pepper on the food and throw it in the pan or the oven; you figure on being done as soon as it all cooks.

It might end up tasting quite good, but you missed perhaps the most important part of the process — the part that makes the meal cuisine instead of mere food, the part that separates the men from the boys. You left out an essential element of cooking: the spices. With very little extra effort, these spices will enhance the flavor of your foods tenfold and lend you substantial culinary credibility. Here are the spice rack basics and some tips on how to use them.

Basil

Basil is a green, leafy plant that originated in India and Persia. Today, it grows primarily in the United States, France and Mediterranean countries. It is a member of the mint family and has a sweet, herbal taste and smell. It is commonly used as a dressing for meats or pastas.

What to use it with: Basil is a popular ingredient in Thai cooking, and also adds great flavor to vegetables, cheese and most meats. It goes well with pasta dishes and is often mixed with tomatoes. Basil can also be used as a dressing on chicken or fish, and mixes well with garlic, oregano and thyme.

Oregano

Oregano is a traditional Mediterranean plant and a member of the mint family. Its dried leaves add a bitter, minty, pungent taste and nose to many popular dishes, including pizza. It is grown fairly extensively in California and New Mexico, as well as throughout the Mediterranean. Oregano can be used as an ingredient in sauces or it can simply be crushed and dusted over dishes.

What to use it with: While it can be used on meat, it is most often used with tomato- and cheese-based dishes, and to accent vegetables. It is commonly added to pizza and spaghetti sauces. This spice also mixes well as a sauce with olive oil and garlic or butter and lemon juice.

Thyme, cumin and more ways to spice up your life with these spice rack basics…